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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: patient · bowl · file · deal · calf · foot · band · bass

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. band — a music group
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. foot — a measure
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — to handle
  15. file — a line of people
  16. file — a tool
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bass — the fish
  19. file — a document
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. band — a ring
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. bass — low music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com